Two Months of SGS Benelux Center, IJmuiden

Two Months of SGS Benelux Center, IJmuiden

Jaya Guru Datta

A journey of satsanga, seva and shared devotion

On 20 July 2026, we joyfully mark two months since acquiring the property in IJmuiden, by the North Sea in the Netherlands. It will become the permanent home of the SGS Benelux Center, the first center in continental Europe affiliated with our beloved Guru, His Holiness Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji.

Our very first satsanga at the center took place on 27 May 2026, on the auspicious occasion of Sri Swamiji’s 84th lunar birthday, Adhika Jyeshtha Shuddha Ekadashi. The programme included Ganapathi Puja, Guru Gita Parayana, Guru Paduka Puja, Hanuman Chalisa and Vadamala Samarpana. From that very first day, our new spiritual home has been filled with prayer, devotion and gratitude.

Filling our new home with divine vibrations

Following Sri Swamiji’s guidance, devotees gather at the center every weekend, alternating between Saturdays and Sundays. Together, we chant the Hanuman Chalisa, Sri Lalitha Sahasranama, Sri Vishnu Sahasranama and Bhagavad Gita shlokas, and sing bhajans in joyful devotion.

With every satsanga, the center grows more alive with positive energy, steadily blossoming into the welcoming spiritual home we all envision.

On June 21, 2026, we were also delighted to observe the International Day of Yoga as part of the Datta Kriya Yoga Global Relay, joining participants around the world in celebrating the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga.

Whether you are visiting for the very first time or have been part of the SGS family for many years, you are warmly welcome. Come chant with us, sing with us, offer your seva and experience the joy of satsanga for yourself. There is always a place for you here.

You will find us at Helmstraat 9, 1975 DP IJmuiden.

Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for photographs, programme reports and announcements, and join our WhatsApp group to receive notifications about upcoming events.

Progress at the center

Alongside the regular spiritual programmes, loving hands have been hard at work caring for the building and preparing it for its future:

A professional cleaning company completed a thorough deep cleaning of the premises, removing accumulated dust and freshening the entire space.
Leaks in the roof have been repaired, and the guttering is being replaced.
The access and security systems, including the door locks, are being upgraded.
Electrical problems affecting the lighting have been resolved.

As a next step, we plan to renew the electrical installations, sockets and lighting. Electrical-safety inspections are also scheduled. Cracks in the interior and exterior walls will be professionally assessed and repaired, and we plan to renovate the storage room to create a suitable area for shoes and jackets.

In the coming weeks and months, we will focus on insulation and other sustainability improvements as we prepare the building for winter. These include external-wall insulation, the repair or replacement of windows, and maintenance and improvements to the heating system. At the same time, we are evaluating suitable ventilation solutions and further energy-saving measures, including solar panels and floor insulation. We are also working to arrange suitable audio and video equipment for satsangas, events and future programmes.

We also look forward with great anticipation to Sri Swamiji’s visit to Europe at the end of August 2026, marking the 50th anniversary of His visits to Europe. During this blessed and historic occasion, we hope to receive Sri Swamiji’s further guidance on developing the center and shaping its future.

Made possible through seva and generosity

Every step of this journey has been made possible by the selfless seva of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Their support has gone far beyond the acquisition of the property, extending to financial contributions, professional help and donations in kind – from puja materials and housekeeping supplies to kitchen and pantry essentials.

A devotee from Germany has lovingly donated a 60-centimetre wooden Ganapathi idol, which now beautifully adorns the entrance to the center. Another devotee has donated meditation cushions for participants sitting on the floor during satsangas. Each contribution, large or small, is helping transform this building into a vibrant spiritual home.

There is still much to accomplish, and we warmly invite you to become part of this sacred journey. Every contribution matters, whether through your presence at satsangas, a few hours of seva, professional expertise, materials and equipment, or a financial donation towards the renovation of the center.

This center is a place for everyone, and it can only be built together – by all of us and for all of us. Just as many small lamps together fill a temple with light, every pair of helping hands brings us closer to the spiritual home we envision.

The Bhagavad Gita beautifully reminds us:

devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha

The verse teaches us that by satisfying the celestial beings through sacrifice, they in turn fulfil our needs, and that by mutually nourishing one another, supreme good comes to all. In this spirit of sacred reciprocity, whatever we offer – our time, skills, resources or presence – becomes a shared blessing.

When each of us contributes even a little, the work becomes lighter and the collective joy grows. Let this center flourish through our shared hands and hearts.

You can support the center by:

Participating in satsangas and events
Offering your time and skills as a volunteer
Supporting the renovation and development work through donations
Donating useful materials or equipment
Sharing our programmes with family and friends

If you would like to offer seva, donate or support a particular project, please contact the SGS Benelux Board (info@sgsbenelux.nl). We will be happy to share the areas in which support is currently most needed. Whether you can help regularly, take responsibility for a specific project or lend a hand at a single event, your contribution will make a meaningful difference and will be received with gratitude.

We offer our heartfelt gratitude to every devotee, donor and volunteer who has helped us reach this milestone. We pray that Sri Swamiji showers His choicest blessings upon them and their families.

With Sri Swamiji’s grace and the collective devotion of our community, may the SGS Benelux Center grow into a lasting home of prayer, service, learning and spiritual fellowship for generations to come.

Sri Guru Datta

Rám and Harrie

Stichting SGS Benelux

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Stichting SGS Benelux

Eilandenweg 36, 2904 VJ, Capelle aan den IJssel

Over SGS Benelux
De Nederlandse belastingdienst heeft de Stichting SGS Benelux (KvK 41064217) gerangschikt als Algemeen Nut Beogende Instellingtigstelling (ANBI ) in de zin van art. 24 lid 4, successiewet 1956.

Giften kunnen worden gedoneerd via bankrekeningnummer NL35 INGB 0000 6305 69